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A Central Criminal Court jury has this morning unanimously found a nephew guilty of murdering his 78-year-old uncle by stamping him to death while wearing steel-capped boots. The jury agreed with the prosecution case that Thomas Lorigan was the man who was caught on CCTV delivering calculated, “well-aimed” kicks as widower John O’Neill lay helplessly on the ground outside his home in Lisdoonvarna in Co Clare. A garda witness told the jury that the pensioner had been severely beaten to the point where he was “unrecognisable”. There was no known motive for the murder but State prosecutors submitted the fact that there was no cash robbery and that family photos were found smashed suggested the killing was “something personal”. Thomas Lorigan (34), of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty to murdering John O’Neill (78) at St Brendan’s Road, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare on a date unknown between January 6 and 7, 2022. The Central Criminal Court trial heard that Lorigan …

A SERIES of walk-in clinics to support communities in preparing their applications for schemes that are presently open, including the Local Area Grant Scheme 2024, are taking place across Clare this week. Community, group and club representatives will be able to discuss their projects with the local authority’s four Rural and Community Development Officers, namely Grainne McCormack (Shannon), Seamus Murrihy (West Clare), Niamh Wiley (North Clare & Ennis) and Darren Carroll (Killaloe). The events take place at: at Doonbeg Community Centre (10am-1pm) and Miltown Malbay Community Centre (2pm-5pm) on Tuesday, January 30; Clarecare, Killaloe (10am-1pm) and Killaloe Municipal District Office, Scariff (2pm-5pm) on Wednesday, January 31; and at Treacy’s Oakwood Arms, Shannon (10am-1pm), The Bridge Complex, Sixmilebridge (2pm-4pm) and Áras Contae an Chláir, Ennis (4.30pm-7pm) on Thursday, February 1. Earlier this week, events were also held at Teach Ceoil Corofin and An Teach Ceoil, Ennistymon. Anne Haugh, Director of Rural and Community Development with Clare County Council commented, “Our four Rural …

Hundreds of household across North and East Clare are still without water following separate incidents this week. Clare’s water infrastructure has taken a battering in recent days with a number of issues reported across the county in the wake of Storms Isha and Jocelyn. Uisce Éireann have reported disruption to customers supplied by O’Briensbridge Water Treatment Plant in East Clare and the Ballymacraven Water Treatment Plant in North Clare, both as a result of burst water mains. Meanwhile, the service in the Miltown and Quilty area of West Clare should be back to normal today following an issue at Old Doolough Water Treatment Plant. Uisce Éireann says that dedicated water service crews are carrying out repairs to restore normal water supply as quickly as possible to customers in O’Briensbridge, Montpellier, Bridgetown and surrounding areas as well as to customers in Kilfenora, Lisdoonvarna, Fanore, Doolin and Ballyvaughan. Homes in these areas may experience low water pressure or full water outages until …

ENNIS 2040 developments are predicted to create over 200 long term jobs and result in €3.5 million of new economic activity in the Clare economy annually. The Ennis 2040 DAC, in collaboration with Clare County Council, has released details of an Economic Impact Assessment examining the transformative potential of a proposed €48 million investment in four strategic town centre sites – Abbey Street Car Park, Harvey’s Quay, Post Office Field, and a brownfield site on Francis Street. The economic impact analysis was undertaken by AECOM and according to Kevin Corrigan, COO, Ennis 2040 DAC the study, “showcases the tremendous potential and wide-ranging benefits” of the proposed developments with “far reaching positive effects” for the town and county. The construction phase is projected to create 526 short term jobs, “providing a substantial and immediate boost” to the local job market.  Beyond construction, the completed projects are expected to generate over 200 long term jobs, contributing an additional €3.5 million annually to the Clare economy.  The proposed …

A man will go on trial later this week accused of murdering a pensioner in Clare two years ago, writes Alison O’Riordan. Thomas Lorigan (34), of no fixed abode was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court this afternoon. Mr Lorigan is charged with murdering John O’Neill (79) at St Brendan’s Road, Lisdoonvarna, on a date unknown between January 6 and 7, 2022. When the registrar read the indictment to the accused man and asked him how he was pleading, he replied: “Not guilty”. The prosecution case is being led by senior counsel Eilis Brennan, while Michael Bowman SC is heading up the defence team. Addressing the jury panel, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said Mr Lorigan was a native of Lucan in Dublin until his late teens and that he had resided at the time of the alleged offence in or about the Lisdoonvarna area. The judge said the deceased Mr O’Neill resided at St Brendan’s Road in Lisdoonvarna, where he …

Saving money is a smart financial habit that can help you achieve your goals and secure your future. In Ireland, there are many ways to save money in 2024, depending on your income, expenses and preferences. When you first set a financial goal, working towards it feels new and exciting. You may spend a lot of time researching ways to save money and feel motivated to change your lifestyle to get closer to your goal. But after a while, the shine wears off and you enter into a phase called “the boring middle.” When you’re in the boring middle, you feel far away from your long-term goal. You may have several years to go before you pay off all your debt or save up enough money to buy a house. The financial changes you’ve made probably don’t feel exciting anymore—they feel restrictive. Some days you may be tempted to give up and go back to old financial habits. Here are …

Shannon Airport has been given a timely Christmas boost following the allocation of €7.1 million in funding for the airport under the Regional Airports’ Programme. This multi-million Euro funding announcement was made by Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers TD. Welcoming the funding allocation, Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group said it demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting the region’s connectivity and the broader economic benefits this brings to the region. “This funding supported some of the vital safety and security operational costs of running Shannon Airport during 2023.” Commenting on the mid-term review of the Regional Airports’ Programme, which is due for completion shortly Ms Considine said the inclusion of Shannon Airport in the Regional Airports Programme over the past few years has been invaluable in supporting its efforts to grow air connectivity, which is so vital for the business and leisure industries across the West of Ireland. “The Shannon Airport Group are …

The premier of a new documentary film about North Clare’s finest, The Stunning, will will take place on RTÉ 1 television this coming Sunday, December 17, at 11.40pm. Ennistymon brothers Steve and Joe Wall have spent the past two years working on this film, which will feature some of the most talent people in music in Ireland including Máirtín O’Connor, Camille O’Sullivan, Faye O’Rourke from Soda Blonde, Niwel Tsumbu, Zoë Conway, Mundy and Shobsy. It also features North Clare bassist and regular collaborate with Steve and Joe Wall, Jon O’Connell. ‘We Come Alive’ was produced independently by The Stunning and Wonderbread Films and licensed to RTE.